The Silver Knight
by Love332
Summary: Zero, a common man, was living a simple life when he decided to go on an adventure that would get him a large sum of money, but to his misfortune, there was a dangerous catch. The objective of his adventure was to save the princess, but what would happen if that distressed princess turned out to be a haughty prince? His world was about to take a 360-degree turn! [ZeroKanaZero]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Goods regards. Happy New Year! I dearly wish that all of you will have a wonderful and an equally happy year. (✿◠‿◠)

As you can see, this is a new 's been a while since I started a new project, so hopefully, it will be to your liking. My birthday is today as well _ _,__ so please _ _assume__ that this is a small gift from me to you, dear readers. _ _c:__ Please do enjoy reading it. ●ᴥ●

 ** **Pairings:**** ZeroxKanamexZero

 ** **Ratings:**** For the time being, this story is rated 'T' ... it will change into 'M' in the future chapters.

 ** **Beta Reader:**** ****LeDahliaNoir**** __(Thank you once again for your help, lovely.__ ·ᴥ· __)__

 ** **Disclaimer:** ** Vampire Knight does **NOT** belong to me.

* * *

 ** **Chapter 1****

Once upon a time, in a far kingdom, lived a young man – twenty-one years of age. His short, silver hair resemble fresh snow. His eyes were the colour of amethyst gems – bright and sparkly. And his well-built body could make any girl swoon over him.

His name was Zero Kiryuu. A common man, trying to make his living through farming. He was set to marry to his fiancé, Wakaba Sayori; a gorgeous young woman who had many suitors after her but by a fortunate stroke of luck, she chose a nobody like him.

He had it all- except money.

Zero heaved a sigh and thrust his hands into his hair. He always wanted to have a family since a young age. Call it a woman's dream or whatever, he didn't care. He lost his parents at a young age to a terrible disease, but the time he spent with them was wonderful.

The silver-haired male wanted to give his children the same love he had experienced. To share the happiness and sadness together; to be able to reminisce the memories when he was all old and wrinkly. He didn't want to be the last of his lineage.

Although, currently, he was utterly and absolutely screwed- in more ways than one. He wasn't able to take care of himself properly, least of a family. He couldn't spend his entire life selling vegetables. The money wouldn't be enough for his future wife and children. He needed to do something huge to earn a great deal of money. This way he would be lifted in the eyes of the society and also be an exceptional provider! Two birds killed with one stone.

The silver-haired man pursued his lips in thought. As far as he knew, all the well-paid jobs were taken by the people of noble status; and the low-paid ones were also all occupied by middle-class workers due to the poverty that struck the country a decade ago. So lower-class citizens like him were left to do the "leftover" works- such as farming and cleaning. Unless...

A sudden idea popped into his head. He rose to his feet quickly - embarrassingly tripping over when his sleeping legs gave out beneath him. Swiftly he got on his feet, pretending that that never happened and approached the cabinet. He hastily opened the worn-out doors of the cupboard which creaked loudly due to the immense force he placed on them; he searched frantically for the single item that would change his life for the better.

After ten whole minutes, he snatched the papery-thin item he was looking for and threw his hands up in victory, smiling triumphantly. Zero brought the scroll close to his face as his eyes scanned the paper rapidly but carefully as to not miss a single detail. His grin broadened when his gaze settled on the only numerical value penned on the column.

It was a reward. A reward of $500,000 to save the princess from the castle and bring her back safely to the kingdom. It was the only job that was available for everyone, however, many lost their lives in this dangerous adventure.

The reason was the __malicious dragon__. The infamous, fire-spouting creature could make the bravest knight tremble in terror- and most likely shit their pants.

Yet if Zero did succeed, he would be wealthy and live his dream life with his future family. If he was lucky enough, the royal family would offer him a permanent job in the palace. From whichever angle he perceived, his life would be so much better than his current one. So that is why he needed to accomplish this mission- even if he had to put his life on the line.

The silver-haired soon-to-be-knight clutched the ragged scroll tightly in his hand, his eyes absentmindedly focusing on the wooden-carved chair situated in the corner of the room. He had a suit of armour in closet – fairly ancient since it belonged to his grand-father; but it would have to do for the time being since this was all he had and did not have enough money to buy another one. He was no knight, but he knew how to use a sword thanks to his teacher, Yagari. Although he wasn't an expert, he vividly remembered the bear he killed when he and Sayori when out mountain climbing a while back.

 _ _Although a bear was nowhere near as terrifying as a dragon.__

Zero shivered. He did not want to imagine how torturous his death would be if he was caught by the creature. He might suffer the same fate as those who attempted to rescue the princess if he decided to go through with this.

He heaved another sigh and longingly looked at the bounty. Why didn't fate look down at him when it came to money? __'Maybe you were a stingy bastard in your previous life...'__ The voice in his head made itself known, he scowled in agitation. No way in hell was he stingy!

Shaking his head, he stared down at the scroll once again; determination welled in his eyes. He nodded to himself, resolute with his decision. He would do this. He would rescue the princess and get the money he desired. Nothing or no one would stop him.

Finally, letting his gaze shift from the chair to the floor, his grin turned into a frown when he saw random things lying on the floor; consequence of him throwing things out of the cabinet in a disarrayed manner.

Sliding down against the cabinet, he stared at the terrible mess, grimacing already at the upcoming lecture from Sayori. He should probably find some earplugs before she returned...

His train of thoughts quickly wandered astray - to the estranged princess. From the rumours he heard, she was a true beauty to behold. Maybe if fate was on his side, he would also be awarded a kiss from the alluring princess...perhaps more, if she was feeling generous.

Zero groaned loudly as heat started pooling in his lower regions. Another thing to take care of before his fiance came back...

•●•

"Be careful, Zero." Sayori pressed her lips softly against her fiancé's smiling ones, tightening her arms around his neck instinctively.

"Dear, do you plan to kill me before the dragon does?" Zero rasped, followed by a dramatic cough.

Sayori quickly loosened her grip around his neck and was about to express a sincere apology for her behaviour but halted when she met his eyes, full of humour and mischievousness. Instead, she pursued her lips in response, narrowing her eyes at the chuckling man, but gave up her one minute anger to bury her face bashfully in his broad chest.

Zero chuckled softly under his breath and idly stroked her hair; the caramel locks fell halfway down her back, they silky between his fingers. He whispered lowly in her ear, "I am joking, my dear. I will come back alive - hopefully in one whole piece."

"Pinky promise?"

"Of course, my love." Zero picked her delicate body up in his muscular arms and twirled her around, earning a delighted squeak from the dainty lady.

"Okay, okay Zero! Put me down this instant!" Sayori whined, slightly punching Zero on the arm as he finally placed her -with utmost care- down on the ground.

Smiling softly, he wrapped arms around the lithe waist of his soon-to-be-wife and placed a butterfly kiss on her forehead. "Please wait for my return, okay?"

"I will. Please be safe! I love you."

"I will, love. Goodbye." Zero gave a tender smile as he mounted the horse. With a final wave at his fiancé, he lightly smacked the right side of his horse twice with his heels, the horse whined loudly before galloping away towards the forest.

Finally, his journey began.

Sayori let her waving hand slide back to her side as her eyes watched Zero's back disappear into the dark woods. She shut her lips tight and mourned in silence. Once again, Zero did not say "I love you" back. She was the only one who always expressed her love in their relationship, but only received an affectionate smile in return.

Sometimes she wondered if Zero ever loved her. He cared for her- she knew that; but love her - she wasn't sure. Sayori gave out a heavy sigh, unease settling in her mind. She had a bad feeling about this whole expedition. Somewhere is her heart she knew that Zero wouldn't be the same when he returned.

The petite woman shook her head to get rid of her nonsensical thoughts. No way. Zero wouldn't ever change. He had been the same since she knew him as a kid. He even ate the same way, much like his younger ten-year-old self- with his mouth slightly open, chewing loudly- much to the annoyance of the other occupants.

Quietly laughing to herself at the memory, Sayori returned to the warm coffins of their house, her turmoil a mere thing of the past. She still had to clean the mess that her idiot fiancé made earlier...

•●•

A very hungry, exhausted silver-haired rider gave a relieved sigh when the ominous tower came into view. Finally, after a week's, not-so-smooth journey, he had made it to his destination. He would sleep a month upon his return to his cozy bed and make the royal family throw a grand feast for him. He at least deserved good food - in large amounts- for the trouble he was enduring for them.

' _ _You are doing this for your own benefits, idiot. The royal family doesn't owe you anything special!'__ If the voice had facial expressions, it would be probably be smirking. He smacked himself hard on the head and gave a satisfactory smirk of his own when the voice quieted down. __'Victory really tastes sweet.'__

Zero drew the reins sharply when he was close enough to the enormous castle, yet still far enough to avoid catching the dragon's attention. He dismounted the mare, pulling her by the reins to the nearest tree that lurked behind the bushes and tied them around the thick trunk. Zero gave her a pat on the head, earning him a delighted neigh, before he trotted down the rocky path to the stone-walled castle.

As he walked, he revised the three plans in his mind.

 ** **Plan A:**** Sneak into the castle. Avoid the dragon's attention. Grab the princess and get out of the castle.

 ** **Plan B:**** Fight the dragon. Save the princess.

 ** **Plan C:**** Grab his leftover dignity and run for his life.

He was promptly inching towards plan C as he inched closer and closer to his doom.

 _ _'Forget about the money then, you freaking coward!'__ The annoying voice in his head interjected once again. He scowled, hating the fact that it was absolutely correct.

Trying his best to smother his fear, he unconsciously patted the sheathed sword attached to his right side and glanced right and left to make sure he wasn't followed by some bandit or worse - the dragon.

Zero let out another breath of relief when he couldn't find a living soul in the area. He placed his hands on the large, oak doors, which were painted with a beautiful, deep red colour; carefully, he pushed the heavy doors open and silently let himself inside.

•●•

After entering the eerie castle, Zero cautiously took one step after another. The clicks of his heels against the marble floor echoed a little bit too loudly for his liking. His pace was almost nimble as a mouse's, and his eyes were attentive – ready for any signs of the ferocious dragon. Thankfully, there was none – for the time being.

Although the castle was old, it was still beautiful. The walls were painted deep blue and unto them hung portraits of handsome individuals, which he assumed were related to the royal family. The castle was supported by eight, tall pillars. On the ceiling, there was a black, gothic chandelier- the only source of lighting in the pitch-black manor. And lastly, in the centre of the hall sat a set of double staircases, one on the right and the other on the left. Zero took one on the left because his gut gave him a hunch that this was the correct path. His gut had never been wrong.

Before he could reach the top of the staircases, a ground-shaking roar vibrated his ear drums. Zero's heart started speeding up and he gulped nervously, panic lacerating his entire body.

 _ _Oh shit.__

He needed to get out of here. RIGHT NOW! The silver-haired male attempted make a run for it, but a large, heavy body landed in front of him, blocking the route. He tried to dash for the other direction, but a sleek, scaly tail circled around him, closing off his only route.

Zero's breath hitched as golden-flecked emerald eyes bore into his terrified ones as if they were peering inside his every own soul. The dragon's greyish scales were majestically beautiful, glittering against the light of the candles, but Zero wasn't in the right mind to admire the beast.

To say he was scared was an understatement. __He was petrified to the core!__

The dragon stepped closer and started sniffing as if he was some kind of delicious meal. He had to admit he naturally smelled good, but this was not a time to boast about his odour. Maybe the beast would smell his sweat since he hadn't taken a shower in a week and leave him be. Zero clenched his eyes shut and started praying to every kind of deity he could think of.

His eyes shot open when he felt the dragon's breath upon his face. It brought its face closer to his and started sniffing him again. From the corner of his eyes, he spotted a narrow path on the stairs- probably made by the dragon.

Zero needed to escape – God knew he did, but his feet were frozen. He couldn't move. His whole body was paralyzed with fear. Heck, he couldn't even use his sword. He was utterly and completely doomed. He was going to be eaten and be digested in the beast's stomach. His only remains would be in the faeces of the creature – the silver-haired made a disgusted face at the thought.

What a heroic way to die...He didn't even have the energy to laugh at his own pitiful joke.

His breath once again hitched and he stood still as a snake-like tongue lapped his cheek. Fuck. The slimy saliva on his face made him want to crawl out of his skin. He was surprised at the beast's action, but decided the dragon was only licking him so he would be wet and slippery enough for it to gobble him down in one gulp...

As two torturous moments passed, the licking continued, Zero dared to open his eyes -he did not know when he had closed them again. He almost fainted when he saw just how close he was to the dragon's mouth. __'Calm down. Take deep breaths. You are still alive.'__ The voice tried to soothe him and for the first time of his life, he was grateful for it.

Calming down his ragged breaths, he reluctantly lifted his eyes to face the dragon.

The dragon merely blinked at him slowly.

Zero stupidly blinked back, not sure what was happening. He was confused. He couldn't understand why the dragon was just standing there looking at him when it should be doing the total opposite? Not that he was complaining. The silver-haired male had no intention of being someone's dinner. He was just perplexed - that was all.

Zero was abruptly startled out of his thoughts when he felt the beast nuzzling the top of his head. He gaped. Dumbfounded.

 _ _What the actual fuck?__

This dragon seemed to be very affectionate, but if he shared this absurd information around, people would label him as an insane person. Even Zero himself had a hard time digesting the knowledge!

Although, Zero could use this weakness as his chance to slay it, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Especially when the dragon was being so uncharacteristically friendly. Another reason would be that he had a soft spot for animals after all - and this included abnormal, dangerous animals like the dragon.

Without giving it much thought, he hesitantly brought his hand to the side of the dragon's face and gently caressed its scaly skin – like he would do with his horse. He was startled when a thundering roar emerged from the creature's throat.

Zero was scared for a second, thinking he had stepped over the line, but his doubts went down the flush when the dragon started nuzzling its face in his hand. A faint grin slowly settled on his lips. Damn, he should become an animal trainer. He would earn a lot of money – he was sure of it.

An ingenious -as well as an idiotic- idea came to him and he started rubbing the beast's face more, soothingly asking in a low voice, "Hey there...Can you be a dear and move aside? I want to go upstairs..."

The dragon's nuzzling movements halted and its jeweled irises scrutinized him – as if it was contemplating his intentions. Zero cursed under his breath when the dragon didn't budge an inch, its stare intensifying. __'Great job, Kiryuu! You just won a free ticket to the dragon's gut!'__

He really should have kept shut his mouth and went back home when he had the chance. Now, he was once again very close to being the dragon's meal.

The creature surprised him -once again- by bending its gigantic head down and giving him a gentle nudge on his chest. Before he could realize what it meant, the beast spread its leathery wings and flew out of the castle graciously. Zero, dumbfounded, stared at the now vacant staircase before him, not really knowing what in the world was happening anymore. The dragon was gone and he was alive and luckily not missing any body parts.

Smiling triumphantly and shaking his head, Zero quickly composed himself. It wasn't over yet. He still had to find the princess before the dragon showed up again.

Inhaling a deep breath, he nodded to himself and his determined feet sprang up the stairs.

•●•

Placing his hand on the wall, Zero slouched his shoulders as he panted heavily. The ridiculously long staircase made him realize how out of shape he had become. He made a mental note to start running again once he returned...

Taking a deep breath in, he stared at the door for a long minute. It was fairly easy to find since it was the only one located in the tower. He smiled boastfully. He was finally here. He did what others couldn't. And on the other side of the door, a very good-looking, delectable princess waited for him. Zero shivered and licked his lips in anticipation before sliding the door open gently, as not to alarm the princess...

The silver-haired man quickly scanned the room before it settled on the clothed back of the only other occupant. The room was spacious but rather simple. A king-sized bed with gray curtains attached to it occupied the centre of the room; beside the bed sat a wooden-carved nightstand, which had a half-filled glass settled upon it.

The only view to the outside world was the oval-shaped window. The sunlight that emerged from the solitary window highlighted the silky, shoulder length brown hair of this breath-taking creature. He hadn't seen the princess yet but he was sure she could take any man's breath away. Even in this moment, Zero had to hold back the strong urge to run his hands through those soft locks and down the delicate back of the other...

"I see that Shiro seems to like you." A soft voice halted his musings, slightly making him jump in surprise. He stared at the person, who was still languidly seated on the bed and didn't even have the common decency to turn around and face him, too dumbfounded to speak.

Wait. He was pretty sure that wasn't a normal female's voice. It was way too deep.

 _ _'Maybe the princess has a deep voice...'__ His mind tried to conjure a perfect answer to his current predicament. __'Yes, that must be it.'__

His reasoning went down the drain when the "princess" decided to speak again.

"Cat got your tongue, Mr. Silver Knight?"

Nope. That was definitely sounded like a masculine voice, albeit a sarcastic one. But how can that be possible? A million questions were running around his head, giving him a headache. This was not really happening. Was it? It had to be his imagination, right?

Before he could stop himself, he asked the first thing on his mind, "You are a...male?"

After a whole minute of absolute silence, a melodious chuckle resounded in the room, and the person in question was trembling with upcoming laughter- as if it was the funniest thing he had ever heard.

Zero frowned. He did not find this amusing at all.

The "princess" finally turned around and regarded him with amusement. Zero's eyebrow twitched as he bit the inside of his cheek when he got to finally see the face of the brunet.

The princess- no prince was the real definition of beauty. Although he was a man, he could put any woman to shame with his looks.

Dark brown eyes with a hint of crimson, high-cheek bones, small, stout nose, and those plump pink lips that looked very kissabl- No! Zero shook his head before his train of thought could go further.

 _ _He definitely did not swing in that way.__

Zero's eyes widened when he found himself staring deep into those mahogany eyes- at a very close range.

"Mm, do you like what you see, Mr. Knight?" The prince, who also went by the name Kaname Kuran, grinned, his eyes full of mirth as he took in the form of the flustered knight. In response, Zero just half-heartedly glared at the man before him, but couldn't help the blush that dusted his usually pale cheeks.

The brunet chose to ignore the glare but instead gave the silver-haired one of his most charming smiles, while he continued speaking "Since you were too busy ogling me..." Another glare at his direction, "I had answered your question, but since I am such a good person, I will repeat myself. So yes, I am indeed a male the last time I checked."

Kaname raised a questioning eyebrow when the silver-haired man face once again contorted in confusion. He was going to say something again, but the soft muttering of the shorter male beat him into it.

"But...that can't be possible…How?...You can't be one! You are supposed to be a fucking princess in distress!" Zero was hysterical at this point. He risked his life to save this arrogant, but highly gorgeous -the voice perked up again-, piece of shi- man? He really had to prevent himself from going to the nearest wall and bang his head on it until everything started making sense to him.

If it was humanly possible, Kaname's brows would have risen even higher. The storm of feelings drifting across the knight's face managed to peak Kaname's amusement even more. This man was very interesting indeed...

Sensing the man's distress getting worse, Kaname started, feeling a bit sorry for the silver-haired knight. "Mr. Knight..." He bit his lower lip and looked away when those dejected, amethyst eyes bore into his, but he continued, licking his suddenly dry lips – unknowingly catching the full attention of Zero.

"I am in no way in distress." His hands gestured around the room as if he wanted to show his point.

"But I do need your help to take me out of this castle..." A slight pout gathered on his lips and he met the questioning gaze of the shorter male head on "As to why is a whole different story that can be told another time." Kaname stepped closer to the knight and grabbed his chin, making the other look straight into his eyes. "As I said before, I am and would always be a male. So yes, that makes me a prince. I am sorry to disappoint you, but that's the truth."

Kaname inwardly groaned and tightened his grip on the man's chin in annoyance when the knight's sole response was his trademark blank stare. The silver-haired was still staring at him with that annoying dumbfounded look on his face and it grated on Kaname's nerves.

A unique, incredulous look graced his usually composed face. He didn't understand how a person can be so stupid and dull-witted and so fucking slow! He heaved a long sigh and heatedly glared at the silver-haired block-head.

"Since you don't seem to understand my wordings, I will show you! After all, actions speak louder than words!" Kaname glowered harshly and brought his hands to the hem of his trousers. He gave one last look at the surprised male and pulled them down, stepping to the side to stand in his full glory. Kaname had to suppress a shudder when those gorgeous amethyst eyes shamelessly and sensually slid down his body and then finally, settled on his package.

A self-satisfied smile played on the prince's lips when the knight's eyes widened in shock and perhaps amazement? His mouth slightly open. Kaname knew he was well-endowed and quite proud of it too, but there was something about the intensity of his stare that caused his skin flush in embarrassment.

Before the prince could inquire if the dumb idiot finally understood him, he heard a loud "THUD" and found himself staring at the unconscious knight; who was unceremoniously lying on the carpeted floor, with a suspicious trail of blood coming out of his nose.

* * *

 **A/N:** LOL, I actually loved writing this chapter. ٩◔‿◔۶ Dumb Zero was a dear to write, but the same thing could not be said about Kaname patience, haha. ó‿ó

Would you like me to continue this story? ٩◔‿◔۶ Reviews/Feedback would be extremely appreciated! (｡✿‿✿｡)

Have a great day/night~! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey, guys! Here is the next chapter. Enjoy :3_

 **Beta Reader: rasclieboobear** _(Thank you so much for the trouble!)_

 **Disclaimer: Do not own VK.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

A perplexed frown settled on Kaname's lips as he regarded the unconscious man incredulously. Did he actually pass out? _What the heck?_

Pursing his lips tightly, his eyes narrowed in irritation, and he lightly kicked the man's side

No response.

Another kick. Once again, no response.

His mind went haywire when the man did not respond to his third kick. Was the man dead? Had the shock of him being male murdered the knight? Kaname's face paled considerably at that very thought. Would he spend the rest of his life in that castle with a rotting body?

The prince shook his head frantically. No way in hell. He wouldn't let his only chance to get out of here die. Not on his watch. The knight could expire all he wanted when he got Kaname out of this tower. Not a moment before.

Inhaling deeply to calm down his rigid nerves, the brunette stepped closer to the unmoving body, quickly inspected for any signs of movement–to his utmost displeasure, he found none–and with all his might and power, kicked the man's rear. He almost fainted himself, in relief of course, when he heard a small groan from the other man's mouth.

 _The man was alive._

The thrilled brunette had a strong urge to do a victory dance around the room, but he warily suppressed himself. It was simply not a befitting thing for a prince to do–even if no was watching. He reprimanded himself, scowling slightly. Sometimes he wished he had not been born into the royal family. His parents had died due to an enemy's assassination order. His only brother was too busy running the kingdom. He was all alone–even when he was living in the main castle.

Massaging his forehead gently, he tried to dispel his unhappy thoughts. Although his brother had been busy, he had always found time to come back to him every night. Kaname clearly remembered how his brother used to sit on the chair beside him, read him a story, sing a lullaby to him until he fell asleep, and kiss his forehead before he left the room. He missed it all. It had been a decade since he last saw his brother, and his heart ached at the very thought. He wanted to be reunited with his elder sibling. Real solitude became known to him from the moment he stepped a foot in that tower. Those precious memories of him and his brother were his only solace and kept him going during his dark period of time. That's why he was determined to get out of there no matter what the cost.

The only way he could do that was...

His gaze was once again settled on the dim-witted knight, his frown returning.

Kaname still had no clue why the latter was so baffled that he had to faint when he found out that he was indeed a male. Maybe pulling down his trousers was over the top, but that dense person gave him no other choice at that moment; he was not to blame as far as he was concerned. Just how could it have been his fault that man's brain was equal to the size of a pea? Nope, not his fault at all. The brunette crossed his arms over his chest and nodded to himself when he was done justifying himself. He felt so much better.

He did wonder, though, why the man lacked the basic knowledge of his kingdom. There were no princesses in the royal family in that generation. Heck, even his brother Haruka had not married yet. No matter how dull someone was, they should have at least known that fact, especially that knight who came to "rescue" him.

Kaname frowned down at the fainted man again, still perplexed. He knew his existence had been hidden from the public knowledge until four years ago. It was for his "well-being"–at least that was what his brother had told him. The only other thing he knew was that his brother had supposedly eliminated the threat: an atrocious wizard named Ichiou Asato. He would have killed the bastard by his own hands if he had the chance to do so. Now his only way to break this spell, the one that wicked man placed on him, was to be carried away out of this foreboding castle in the arms of a very courageous, kind-hearted knight: female or male. Although, he would have had to do all the carrying if the knight happened to be a female...

Why did the knight not know this?! Unless...

Kaname scrutinized the worn-out armor, his bewildered expression changing into an appalled one. That armor could have been placed in a building of archaic artifacts; it looked that ancient. _How dare this peasant come save me dressed like that?_ He fumed slightly, offended. Although, he briefly wondered how it was still kept intact...

Shaking his head to bring him out of his thoughts, he analyzed the relic–he refused to call it an armor–and did not find any sign of a royal or noble emblem. _So my suspicions were right._ This man belonged to either the middle-class or, even worse, the lower-class whom Kaname often referred to as peasants, much to his older brother's dismay.

Coming back to the real point, Kaname once again regarded the knight in deep contemplation. He had observed the interaction with between the silver-haired man and Shiro, a name he decided to give the dragon - who ought to protect him from vultures and undeserving knights. The silver-haired cowar- he had intended to say knight - was not courageous in any way imaginable. Why in the world did Shiro allow the male to get inside then?

 _Maybe Shiro saw the kindness in his heart and let him in..._ His frown deepened as that thought dawned upon him like freezing, cold water.

Sighing softly, he crawled over to the man and tenderly caressed the pale cheek. The knight was good-looking; Kaname had to at least give him that. His unusual coloring made him even more intriguing to the prince.

Dumb or not, peasant or not, gorgeous or not, this man had risked his own life to get him out of the lonely walls of this castle. Kaname was truly grateful for it - despite his previous taunting deliberations towards the knight.

Kaname very well knew that he was not main the reason that the perilous journey was executed. It was either done for the ample amount of money or for ma-

The prince halted his thoughts before they could reach a point of no return, blushing furiously. No matter what the man's goal was, Kaname kind of owed the knight his life.

Directing his attention once again to the motionless knight, Kaname pinched the man's nose tightly and smirked when he received a pitiful whimper for his effort, though the man was still dead to the conscious world. His burgundy eyes landed on the slightly parted lips, and his smirk grew wider as an ingenious idea popped into his head.

He had found the perfect way to make the silver-haired knight regain his consciousness.

•●•

Zero fluttered his eyes open and groaned loudly when his right side–and, questioningly, his rear–started hurting painfully. For some reason, his body also felt heavy, and he could not move. _What had happened? Why am I laying on the floor? Where am I?_ He could not remember that day's events clearly until he looked up and his eyes unintentionally focused on the plump lips that were approaching his as each second passed.

 _Wait- what? Whose lips?_ Zero nearly screamed when those lips almost touched his. He roughly pushed the person on top of him to the side–he realized then the reason why his body felt so heavy–and scurried himself to the nearest corner, glaring daggers down at the brunette while defensively covering his mouth with his hand.

"Wha tha hol?!" Zero muttered furiously through his covered mouth.

"I was just giving you a true love's kiss, Mr. Kinght..." Kaname pouted defensively, his eyes brimming with fake hurt.

"Why?!" Zero demanded, his voice taking a higher note in the process, while his lips were still guarded by the palm of his hand.

Kaname's pout dissolved into a smirk, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he winked at the furious knight. "To wake you up, of course. Haven't you ever read Sleeping Beauty?"

Zero's eyebrow twitched in aggravation, his mood darkening considerably. The shitty excuse of a prince was really asking for a rough beating. If the said brunette uttered one more word, the knight would strangle his pretty little throat. Nobody, and he absolutely meanst nobody -prince or not-, got on Zero Kiryu's nerves and left without a scratch. Furthermore, the prince was rising fairly quickly to the top of the most-annoying-people-he-has-ever-met list.

 _'Control yourself, Kiryu. Control. You don't want that bounty money to go to waste when you are so close to getting it. You just have to deal with this very attractive prince, whom you've totally got the hots for, for a few more days, and all of this will be over,_ ' the voice soothingly interjected his fuming thoughts, and surprisingly, it calmed him down.

Although, he did scowl at the part where it claimed that he'd 'totally got the hots' for the unnerving prince. For the hundredth time, he did not _swing_ in that way!

 _'Yeah, keep telling yourself that,'_ the voice snickered tauntingly, and Zero found himself a new target to practice his strangling on.

Luckily for him, Kaname did not say another word, his eyes never leaving the toned form of the knight—meticulously observing every emotion that passed across the silver-haired man's features.

When the prince noticed that the man was completely lost in his own thoughts, much to his own chagrin—how dare the peasant ignore him when he was sitting right in front of him?—, Kaname saw this as his chance and slowly crawled over to the silver-haired man, sliding up between his parted legs. Before Zero could utter a word of protest, Kaname placed a small peck on the pale cheek of the man and grinned broadly when those cheeks flamed with a rosy tint.

Kaname realized only moments prior that he absolutely enjoyed teasing the foolish knight. His honest reactions were oddly amusing to behold.

Zero was speechless, and the redness on his cheeks was not helping his situation at all. _He had no intentions of blushing_. He was just caught by surprise- that was it.

Trying to suppress his growing annoyance, he pushed the brunette away again–with less force this time–and moved away again, this time, keeping a good distance between him and the aghast prince.

Zero sat with his legs crossed and cast a curious glance when the prince's shoulders slouched, his form trembling slightly as a haunted expression ghosted over the perfect features of the brunette. _What was wrong with him now?_

Kaname was hurt. No, he was humiliated. By this very awful, terrible man. He reeled in rage and, to an extent, anguish, and clenched his trousers tightly, squinting his eyes when he felt shameful tears smarting the corner of his eyes. Was his kiss that dreadful that the knight had to rebuff him by pushing him away? Did the man not even have the common decency to apologize to him for his insolent behavior?

The prince gritted his teeth, his face contorting in fury. People would die from happiness to have him glance their way, and yet this ungrateful, pathetic, and also handsome–he hated himself for admitting that–knight rejected him. Not only once, but twice.

The brunette closed his eyes and took deep heavy breaths, trying to relax his raging nerves. He had to calm down before he butchered the man into pieces or, even worse, broke down into pitiful sobs in front of him. Kaname absolutely refused to degrade himself anymore before this pathetic excuse of a human.

"Hey, are you alright?"

A strong yet oddly soothing voice penetrated his thoughts, and he glanced at the knight, his eyes widening comically, whilst his musings of butchering a certain someone got thrown out of the window.

Zero, who once again did not think twice before speaking would have laughed at the other's expression if the situation had not been tense as fuck. He groaned slightly when the prince only turned his head away from him, leaving his question unanswered and ignoring him altogether.

An awkward silence settled between them, and Zero pursed his lips in annoyance when the quietness persisted. He was not fond of uncomfortable situations, and the silent treatment he was receiving from the brunette was making him feel very queasy.

Sighing sharply, he decided to break this dreadful silence. It was seriously getting on his nerves.

Zero nimbly scooted closer to the brooding brunette and gently gripped his shoulder, making the latter jump in shock. He smirked slightly when those gorgeous burgundy eyes turned towards him and gave him a deadly glare. He happened to find the ominous stare more appealing than the restless silence.

Noticing that he finally had the prince's attention, Zero scratched the back of his head sheepishly, while he began sincerely apologizing, "I am sorry. I was just surprised and highly embarrassed when you, uh, ah, you know." He pointed to his cheek, flushing slightly. "But I hope that you will be so kind as to forgive me for my rudeness, Your Highness." He deliberately added the honorific, hoping it would coax the prince out of his glumness.

"Hm." Kaname just narrowed his eyes more, feeling a bit better at hearing the apology, but still turned his face away from the other once more–not really satisfied by it. He wanted something more than an apology, although that 'something more' was not also clear to him.

Blowing out a frustrated sigh, Zero removed his hand from the brunette's shoulder and flopped down on the floor, staring hopelessly at the ceiling. The prince was quite hard to please, but what would one expect from a member of the royal family? Though, he had to admit that it was partially his fault, too, for rudely shoving the other away. What would a sane, straight man do if he was nearly smooched by a good-looking stranger—a male at that? If it was a princess, his dilemma would be a whole different story…

 _'You know you wanna kiss him. Just look how kissable those lips are. Stop fooling yourself!'_ the voice chimed in teasingly, and he growled lowly in his throat, his eyes narrowing threateningly. _I fucking know that he looks kissable! I would probably thoroughly and passionately kiss him if he was a girl, okay? Happy now?! Just shut up._

A sharp intake of breath alerted him out of his chit-chat with his non-existent companion, and he cast an inquiring glance at the source of the gasp, raising his eyebrow when he saw the wide eyes of a very reddening prince. _What the hel-?_

Some moments passed before the realization came to him like a thunderbolt and he colored painfully. "Did I just say that out aloud?" He silently started praying to the heavens, hoping against all odds, that he was not the reason behind that attractive flush blooming on the soft features of the brunette. _'Are you even listening to yourself, Mr. Straight Man?'_ the voice taunted. He chose to ignore it.

His dreadful suspicion proved to be correct when he received a small nod from the latter, whose flush only got darker as time passed.

Zero groaned loudly, and he thumped the back of his head, extremely hard, on the floor, covering his burning face with the front of his hands.

It would be a very, very long day...

* * *

 _Thank you for reading! *bows* I hope you enjoyed it. I really had fun writing their interactions. They are quite amusing (':_

 _Please do leave a review 3 I love reading them :3_

 _Special thanks to **ben4kevin, Sake-chan,** **irmina** **, 1musicfreak4ever** and everyone else who_ fave _/alerted my story!_

 _~Love332_


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